Exploring Astrogator's Component Browser

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If you are familiar with Astrogator, you have most likely used the Component Browser and its powerful capabilities. If you are just getting started, then you may not have gotten to this yet since it is no introduced in the introductory tutorials.

Whenever you want to build a custom element in Astrogator, like a stopping condition, propagator, engine model, etc., you will do this in the Component Browser. Until not too long ago, the Components Browser was actually called the Astrogator Browser, until those pesky comm/radar folks realized it's greatness and commandeered it (partially). Check the screenshot above to see how you can get to the Component Browser. Let’s say you want to update your propagator so that it uses a different gravity model, higher degree/order gravity field and a different atmospheric drag model. Open the Components Browser and take a look under Propagators. You can’t change any of the default propagators (note the yellow icon) but you can duplicate them and edit the copy (note the green icon of the copy). Now double-click on your new propagator and edit all the properties you want.

All the available options come from the “Propagator Functions” section of the Components Browser, which is something you can edit as well. Finally, we have to actually use this propagator during propagation. Go to the properties of your Propagate and Finite Maneuver segments and update the propagator from the default to this custom one.

The Component browser allows you to create/edit a number of other properties so take a look around and explore all the options.